(U2) The Revolutions Of February And October 1917 Flashcards
Explain the effect WWI had on the Russian economy with regards to:
Food supplies (4)
- requisitioning reduced agricultural output —> horses and fertilizers taken for war
- sales of food became unprofitable (due to inflation), farmers stopped selling grain
- hunger began to border famine
- Petrograd by 1917 had to ration bread and received less than 1/4 of the bread in 1914
Explain the effect WWI had on the Russian economy with regards to:
Inflation (2)
- spending rose from 4m to 30m roubles
- to fund this, the gold standard was abandoned and more notes were printed —> causing inflation to rise
Explain the effect WWI had on the Russian economy with regards to:
Transport (4)
Transport:
- the rail system was mechanically inefficient and was not fit for war
- by 1916 it verged on collapse
- food transport cut: 1914 - Moscow received 2,200 wagons of food per month
- by 1917 this fell to only 700 per month
What key issue hampered the Russian army on the frontlines in WWI?
Equipment shortages:
- Despite being the largest military in Europe, equipment didn’t reach the frontlines
- Russian expenditure was high, however poor planning around transport prevented equipment reaching troops
What move by Tsar Nicholas II in WWI grew criticism against him?
When and why did this cause criticism?
- August 1915: Tsar becomes commander in chief of the army
- he was now accountable for any military failures
How did low morale in the military become evident?
What does this suggest? (Russia WWI)
- Numbers of caught deserters grew: 195,130 deserters in March 1917 to 365,137 in August 1917
- the army knew they could not win the war
can round numbers if you want
Who led Russia prior to the February 1917 revolution?
Tsar Nicholas II
Upon the Tsar changing his role, who did the Tsar leave in charge of government?
The Tsarina and Rasputin
What is a soviet?
A soldier’s or worker’s council
Upon the Duma being recalled in July 1915, what key mistake did the Tsar make?
What did this cause?
- He didn’t co-operate with the zemstva and the union of municipal councils
- this furthered political opposition to the Tsar
Which political coalition formed in opposition to the Tsar in August 1915?
Who was part of it? (4)
- the Progressive Bloc
- the Kadets
- the Octobrists
- Nationalists and
- progressive industrialists
Why did the Progressive Bloc become direct opponents of the Tsar?
The Tsar failed to grant reforms they pledged
Between 1915 and 1916, how many PMs did Russia have?
What does this highlight?
- 4
- political chaos
Why did the role of Rasputin create opposition to the Tsarina and the Tsar?
Why was this a problem?
- He was unpopular with the aristocracy
- the aristocracy were a key pillar of the Tsarist regime - alienating them risked losing their support
What effect did the high turnover of ministers (under the Tsarina) have on members of the Duma?
Discontent grew - members felt their demands were not taken seriously
Upon coming back to Petrograd, what mistakes did the Tsar make with regards to the Duma?
Give evidence of this.
What effect did this have?
- He refused to listen to concerns raised by the Duma
- seen through dissolution of Duma Feb 27th 1917
- this only led to further discontent and opposition
When did the aristocrats plot to murder Rasputin?
December 1916
When did the strike at the Putilov steel factory begin?
By day 4, how many were protesting?
What happened on the 5th day which grew the protests further?
- 18th Feb 1917
- 100,000 (Feb 22nd)
- women joined for international women’s day (Feb 23rd)
On what day had the Putilov strikes crippled Petrograd?
How did the Tsar respond?
- 25th February 1917
- dissolved the Duma (27th Feb)
How did the February Revolution manifest itself? (Broadly) (3)
not causes - actions that immediately caused it
- the Putilov strikes - crippled Petrograd to the point the Tsar couldn’t return (28th Feb - train stopped)
- Tsar abdicates (2nd March 1917) - advised by generals
- New Provisional Govt formed (3rd March 1917)
Why was the Prov govt immediately unstable? (4)
- Many different parties - causing decision making to be slow & difficult
- struggled to meet needs - therefore weren’t supported by the working and middle-lower classes
- granted political amnesty - freed opponents like Lenin
- order no. 1 & dual authority
What was the most powerful soviet in 1917?
Why were they so powerful?
When did it emerge?
- The Petrograd soviet
- they controlled some public services, the people’s milita (police replacement) and the city’s military garrison - instead of the prov govt
- Feb 1917
When was order no.1 issued and what was it?
What part of it weakened the authority of the Prov Govt? And why?
- March 1st 1917 - a list of rules for military personnel issued by Soviets
- article 4 - soviet orders were more important than govt ones when there was a conflict of interest
- as a result - Soviets had greater control over the military
What change occurred in Soviets during summer 1917?
Why?
- influence shifted from moderates (Mensheviks) to more hardliners (Bolsheviks)
- the Prov govt didn’t leave WWI - Bolsheviks supported exit, as did most members of the public
What 5 key errors did the prov govt make?
- agreeing to Dual Authority with Soviets
- promising reforms it couldn’t deliver (e.g. land reform)
- waiting until constituent assembly elections to implement reforms
- keeping Russia in WWI
- the Kornilov affair - strengthened the Bolsheviks and gave them momentum
Why did the Prov Govt keep Russia in WW1?
Purely for pragmatic reasons:
- Russia relied on allied supplies and financial aid
- by leaving the War, they risked bankruptcy
When was the June offensive?
What was it?
- June 1917
- a final frantic attempt to achieve a military breakthrough in WWI - under Prov Govt
Why and how did Lenin return to Russia (1917)
- heard of tsars abdication
- feared bolsheviks without his leadership would compromise with other socialists and even the government
- Germany helped him return to Russia to destabilize and force them to leave war
Who was politically in charge of the June Offensive?
Alexander Kerensky - war minister
After how long did it appear clear the June Offensive had failed?
What effect did this have on the army?
- 3 weeks in
- will was lost - deserters increased and regiments mutinied
What was said after Lenin returned
- 16th April 1917 - Finland Station Petrograd, Lenin: ‘No support must be given to the provisional government’
- (separately) Kerensky: ‘just you wait, Lenin himself is coming then the real thing begins!’
What was the April theses and what did it result in? (3)
(for the Bolsheviks)
- 10 directives - used as a form of propaganda/manifesto
- attacked ‘imperialist war’,
- advocated overthrowing government,
- transfer “all power to the soviets”
- It gave the party clear political objectives and slogan “Peace, Bread and Land”
Why did the Bolsheviks use propaganda
and
What was the results of their use?
- used it to exploit government shortcomings and mistakes
- increased support: by October 1917 had more than 300,000 mainly in cities
How many Russian soldier casualties resulted from the June Offensive?
What did this cause?
- 60,000
- further political unrest and opposition to the war
What was Kerensky’s response to Lenin’s return? (3)
- quickly blamed July days on Lenin calling him ‘the German agent’
- Bolsheviks publicly condemned and weakened significantly
- however after Kornilov affair Kerensky leaned on Bolsheviks
What broad factors led to the July Days protests? (3)
- problems at home worsened (e.g. food shortages)
- economic issues persisted
- people grew dissatisfied with govt conduct, particularly around the war
Results of Kerensky leaning on Bolsheviks (3)
- Petrograd Soviet mobilized, Bolsheviks released from prison, red guards armed
- after Kornilov defeat Bolsheviks used it as propaganda
- some argue Kerensky gave Lenin momentum
How did Lenin take advantage of peasants’ land seizures? (2)
- changed tactics - slogan “Land to the Peasants”
- promised them land that they seized gaining their support
How did the July Days protests unfold? (5)
- Soviets spread across Russia
- sailors, soldiers and laborers at Kronstadt naval base (Petrograd) set up a rival govt
- workers took over factories
- peasants siezed land by force from landlords
- protests in Petrograd against the idea of Ukrainian independence
Over which days did the ‘July Days’ protests occur?
Why were they quickly quashed?
- 3rd to 7th July 1917
- they were unplanned, unorganised and had unclear aims - lack of leadership
Who did the Prov Govt blame for the ‘July Days’ protests?
What was their basis?
- The Bolsheviks
- Lenin declared in June 1917 - he and his supporters ready to take power
What was the key success and key failure of the ‘July Days’ protests for the Bolsheviks
- Bolsheviks didn’t gain power and were held in a lower regard
- however, they learned lessons which assisted the October Revolution
Who was General Lavr Kornilov?
- commander in charge of the June Offensive
- became commander-in-chief (July 19th 1917)
Outline the events of the Kornilov Affair (3)
- Kornilov - sends troops to Petrograd to deal with Bolsheviks and restore ‘law and order’
- Kerensky feared a coup - perhaps to bring back Romanov rule
- Kerensky turns to Bolsheviks: arms Red Guards and Bolshevik prisoners, whom he set free
Who was the PM of the prov govt during the October Revolution?
Alexander Kerensky
What was the effect of the Kornilov affair on the military?
- Kornilov (commander-in-chief) arrested
- Kerensky’s apparent betrayal caused deserters to grow in number
Why was the Kornilov affair so damaging for the Prov Govt? (3)
- Bolsheviks, govt’s main political rivals, were made stronger - both weapons and influence
- well armed while the army was weakened - deserters and WWI
- many in the army felt betrayed and alienated - weakened chance of defence against a coup
Who were the only party to oppose WWI in 1914?
Why was this important?
- The Bolsheviks
- it gave them some political leverage when the war went wrong
Give membership figures which demonstrate the growth of the Bolsheviks. (3)
Where were the majority of their supporters from?
- March 1917 - 11,000 members
- June 1917 - just under 200,000 members
- October 1917 - more than 300,000 members
- Cities like Petrograd and Moscow
When were the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) formed?
By whom?
What were their aims?
- Sept 12th 1917
- Leon Trotsky
- Defend the capital against another Kornilov style attack or against German forces
When was the SDLP meeting in which Lenin demanded a coup?
October 10th 1917
When was Trotsky’s operation in which the prov govt was overthrown?
What happened?
How long did it take to overthrow the govt?
- 25th October 1917
- Petrograd’s essential services (i.e. energy, transport) shut down. Prov govt lack control
- 36 hours
Who was Rodzianko?
Why was his stance important?
- a former loyalist to the tsar, chairman of the Duma and a key leader of the Progressive bloc
- once he lost faith in the Tsar, many other politicians followed suit
Who was Milyukov?
What was the famous line from his famous speech in the Duma?
- a Kadet who later became a key leader in the Progressive Bloc
- “is this stupidity or is it treason?”
